It all started with a bet. In 1864, as Johannes Badrutt waved off the last of his English summer guests at Pension Faller in St Moritz, he put a proposal to them: return in December. If they didn’t like it, he would pay their travel expenses. If they did, they could stay for as long as they liked.
Up until then, St Moritz and the Upper Engadin Valley had been a popular summer destination for wealthy Europeans. Yet in winter, despite snowcapped landscapes and mild temperatures (St Moritz averages 322 days of sun a year), the town and Pension Faller lay empty, much to Mr Badrutt’s despair. Unable to refuse, the four Brits returned and are said to have been so captivated, they stayed until Easter. With that, the world’s first winter resort was born, and St Mortiz cemented its place as the cold weather playground of the elite.
Mr Badrutt’s legacy lives on today and, in some ways, little has changed. The hilltop town remains one of the world’s most exclusive ski resorts – a place where discretion and elegance trump brash displays of wealth; where generations of the same well-off families return year after year to a favored grand hotel or winter home. However, even a visionary like Mr Badrutt was unlikely to have foreseen the sheer glamour of it all.
Michelin-star restaurants stand beside quaint Alpine huts serving raclette, champagne pours in abundance at members-only clubs, Chanel sunglasses-wearing skaters glide along natural ice rinks, and well-dressed crowds gather to revel in a bumper schedule of winter sporting events. There’s also plenty of opportunity to shop until you drop on the world’s highest-elevation luxury shopping street, Via Serlas.
As one local put it on my recent visit: “St Moritz is an art of living. [You] do a couple of slopes in the morning, go to a good restaurant, then a couple of runs in the afternoon and then ‘ciao.’ People come for a good time.”
[See also: The Best Alpine Ski Resorts to Visit this Winter]
Related
Stay
Badrutt’s Palace
Badrutt’s Palace has soared in neo-Gothic glory over Lake St Moritz since its doors were opened by Johannes Badrutt’s son, Caspar, in 1896. Arriving by train or jet? A black Rolls-Royce will greet you (pre-request the vintage model previously owned by the British royal family). The hotel has kept much of its turn-of-the-century splendor, and the best place to soak it in is in Le Grand Hall, where immense arched windows frame the lake to the tinkling of a grand piano. It is not difficult to see why some of the world’s most famous faces, including Coco Chanel, Charlie Chaplin, and Alfred Hitchcock, were regulars.
Top Suite: The Tower Penthouse Apartment
The new Serlas Wing will be unveiled this winter — an expansion created by renowned architect Antonio Citterio that includes 25 contemporary rooms and suites. For a stay unlike any other, book The Tower Penthouse Apartment, one of the most prestigious residences in the Swiss Alps. Occupying the top three floors of Badrutt’s iconic tower, with its own private elevator, it acts as a luxury four-bedroom chalet in the sky.
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Tower Penthouse Apartment from $20,378 per night. Contact Gloria Maglia, reservations manager, reservations@badruttspalace.com, +41 818 372 645, badruttspalace.com.
Carlton Hotel
Despite celebrating its 111th birthday, the Carlton Hotel still manages to feel very ‘now’ while maintaining an air of Belle Époque style. Every winter, a jet-set crowd checks into its 60 rooms and suites — all with lake views. The spa occupies three floors; its holistic Moving Mountains concept incorporates everything from Swiss mountain herb massages and high-tech facials to sessions with an ‘art butler’ and forest bathing. There’s also the option to follow a specially designed nutritional menu, but it may be challenging to resist the two-Michelin-star restaurant.
Top Suite: Carlton Penthouse
Spanning the entirety of the eighth floor, the 4,155-sq-ft Carlton Penthouse offers 360-degree views of St Moritz and the valley from its five terraces. All three bedrooms feature king-size beds and marble-decked en suites with bathtubs. With over 1,000 sq ft of living space, this is a place to gather with loved ones around the glow of the open fire and share chef-prepared meals straight from your kitchen.
Carlton Penthouse Suite from $25,000 per night. Contact Ryan Imboden, director of sales, r.imboden@tschuggencollection.ch, +41 793 895 058, tschuggencollection.ch.
Suvretta House
Suvretta House’s location is the stuff of Alpine fairy tales — a turreted palace built in 1912 nestled among the pines in the upper Engadine Valley, gazing over the lake below. Set just outside of town, it is the only ski-in/ski-out hotel in St Moritz and boasts its own signature emerald-hued ski lift. The in-house ski school has an impressive instructor-to-guest ratio and, in winter, the garden is transformed into a skating rink and a curling field.
Suvretta House attracts a sophisticated clientele, drawn to its reputation for quiet but assured luxury. Dinner at the oak-columned Grand Restaurant is a dressy affair with classic French silver service, while younger guests will love The Teddy Club, a dedicated children’s restaurant with miniature booths and a menu filled with kids’ classics given a Swiss spin.
Top Suite: Tower Suite
Of the hotel’s 181 rooms and suites, reserve the 1,400-sq-ft Tower Suite, which has an apartment-like feel. The one-bedroom suite features a sprawling terrace, perfect for an indulgent breakfast while you take in the winter magic that unfolds before you.
Tower Suite from $5,580 per night. Contact Florian Thöni, marketing manager, fthoeni@suvrettahouse.ch, +41 818 363 636, suvrettahouse.ch.
Kulm Hotel
St Moritz’s first hotel and where it all began, the Kulm Hotel started life as the Faller Pension in 1855. It stayed within the Badrutt family until the late 1950s, by which point the hotel and its country club had reached cult status, racking up quite the list of achievements. It’s the home of the Sunny Bar, Switzerland’s first sports bar, which remains a firm favorite; the Winter Olympics were held here twice; and the Cresta Run (a legendary white-knuckle ice skeleton toboggan race) was founded here in 1884. It’s no surprise that the hotel draws winter sports enthusiasts.
Top Suite: Corvatsch Suite
Fresh from a facelift by French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, the Corvatsch Suite is 1,894 sq ft of pure Alpine chic. Many elements have been sourced directly from the Graubunden and its surrounds, while sheepskin armchairs, pine wood paneling and a log fireplace nod to the golden age of après-ski.
Corvatsch Suite from $6,018 per night. Contact Katharina Rehbock, reservations manager, reservations-manager@kulm.com, +41 818 368 000, kulm.com.
[See also: The Non-Skiers’ Guide to Ski Vacations]
Dine
In St Moritz, après-ski is just as important as shredding powder. The Suvretta chairlift at the Corviglia slopes will transport you skywards and outside the door of Trutz for hearty mountain fare. A short stroll away, you’ll find Badrutt’s Palace’s slopeside offering, Paradiso. Here, DJs spin tunes on the upper deck, while the cozy booths on the lower mountain deck serve an eclectic menu featuring caviar and lobster, as well as the most elevated take on a croque monsieur you might ever taste.
You can’t come to Switzerland in winter without indulging in the national dish: fondue. Reserve a Fondue Gondola at the Carlton Hotel, or head to Chesa Veglia in the center of town. This former farmhouse built in 1658 hosts the intimate three-table Carigiet Fondue Stübli; you will also find authentic brick-oven Pizzeria Heuboden and Swiss-gourmet offerings at Patrizier Stuben. Head to local institution Hanselmann for champagne truffles and other sweet treats including Engadiner Nusstorte, the traditional caramelized nut pastry that hails from this mountainous region.
The fine dining scene is especially strong during the cooler months. Winter-only, two-Michelin-star Da Vittorio at the Carlton Hotel – the sister restaurant of the Cerea brothers’ three-Michelin-star Lombardy eatery – serves precision Italian cuisine including the brothers’ famed paccheri alla Vittorio pasta. Two-star Ecco, helmed by German-born chef Rolf Fliegauf, focuses on fine local ingredients to craft contemporary dishes.
For after-dinner drinks, Badrutt’s Palace’s storied Renaissance Bar offers a world-class cigar menu and sophisticated cocktails like the Cointreau and lime St Moritzino. Carry on the night at the hotel’s King’s Social House (Switzerland’s oldest nightclub) or Kulm Hotel’s fabled Dracula Club.
[See also: Oli Corkhill on His Lifelong Obsession with Skiing]
Explore
Ski
St Moritz has three main ski resorts: Corviglia, Corvatsch/Furtschellas, and Diavolezza/Lagalb, and the Ikon Pass will give you access to all three. Corviglia is just a five-minute drive from town and the most iconic, with 96 miles of perfectly groomed pistes. Here you will find something for everyone, with the Salastrains area ideal for beginners, while pros whizz their way through the 1,300-ft-long giant slalom course. Diavolezza/Lagalb, located 20 minutes outside town, is for more experienced skiers, with Diavolezza featuring Switzerland’s longest glacier run. Corvatsch/Furtschellas is the area’s highest ski resort and often has powder until April.
Ice
Ice sports have a lengthy tradition in St Moritz, and many of the grand hotels host their own ice rinks in winter. But if you want to skate the good old-fashioned way à la frozen lake, then take to the natural rink at the St Moritz Skating Club, right in front of Kulm Country Club.
Ride
An enchanting horse-drawn sleigh ride across the frozen lake, through the snow-cloaked forest, or to take in the shimmering lights of St Moritz is an unforgettable way to experience the Upper Engadin Valley. In your vintage carriage, wrap yourself in furs and blankets and let your horse lead the way.
Art
Artists have long been drawn to St Moritz for its picturesque vistas, and whether you want to buy, browse, or admire, visitors are spoiled for choice when it comes to art galleries. Galerie Andrea Caratsch, Hauser & Wirth, and Vito Schnabel Gallery all have a dynamic program of exhibitions. The Segantini Museum showcases the late Italian painter’s works, which uniquely capture the Engadin Valley in the second half of the 19th century.
Shop
Head to Via Serlas, where you’ll find the boutiques of Bvlgari, Cartier, Dior, Gucci, Loro Piana, and Louis Vuitton, with Hermès just around the corner. Local favorite Lamm is great for cashmere sweaters and scarves. Guests at Badrutt’s Palace can book a truly private shopping experience with the chance to visit the best designer stores after closing time.
[See also: Ski Resort Look to Sustainable Future for Survival]
